5 BIG mistakes you're making with your marketing and sales emails

In today's AMA (Ask Me Anything), the founder of a content sharing platform asked the following questions:

1. How can I use email marketing effectively?
2. What type of big business marketing tactics can small businesses use on a small budget to increase brand awareness?

I went on a bit of a rant about the second question, and if you're interested in learning more, I suggest you watch the video below; but, for the purposes of this LinkedIn piece, we're going to focus on question numero uno-- increasing your email marketing effectiveness.

Here's the thing with email marketing; it can be your highest-converting marketing channel, or paint you like a spammy nuisance taking up precious inbox real estate. It all depends on how you execute.

Here are 5 common mistakes that are absolutely putting you in the latter, undesirable category.

1. DON'T use a generic and vague subject line.

"ABC Company Newsletter", "Healthy recipes for this week", "Legal Updates"

No one wants to read any of the above emails. In fact, as a direct result of these types of subject lines, you'll actually anger people who now must take 2 seconds out of their day to either unsubscribe from you or delete your email.

Instead: DO make personal subject lines that speak to curiosity

"First Name, changing this one thing in your data room can save you 4 hours a week."

"First Name, here's our most downloaded recipe of the year for burning stomach fat."

"First Name, this new law could cost you thousands by the end of this month."

Always ask yourself, "How does this REALLY impact my customer? Why will they really care?"

No one cares about a new piece of legislation. Everyone cares if they take a financial hit for not following it. Lead with the second point. It matters and it's relevant to your clients.

2. DON'T send your emails from a generic email like marketing@abccompany.

Again, people will immediately label it as solicitation and move it to trash.

Instead: ALWAYS send it from an actual person's email address with the person's name. It seems like YOU are actually emailing them, increasing their propensity to open. Even if the email is sent from central marketing, make it from a PERSON.

3. DON'T use a ton of pictures and colors.

This isn't a magazine article or a newspaper article; that's spammy.

Instead: DO aim to have all of your email communication in a simple text format. Humans don't send other humans regular email communication with 3 pictures set on a green background with blue writing. They send them emails that are simple and to the point (and in black and white).

4. DON'T send emails that have long paragraphs.

Instead: DO break up your sentences into paragraphs. We're in the mobile age. When reading on a small screen, people will see lengthy paragraphs as VERY long and daunting. The shorter the paragraphs, the higher the probability your reader will actually make it to the END of the email.

5. DON'T give them 5 actions to take.

Having them click a link to read a story, send a reply email, and like you on social media platforms are WAY too many actions for your reader's take. If you give them several directions, they will follow exactly NONE of them.

Instead: DO start with 1 primary goal for the email.

Get them to your blog. Have them connect with you on social. Incentivize them to comment on your post. Send them to a landing page. Whatever the action is, only give them ONE to do and then sprinkle that action in a few times throughout the body of the email.

Contrary to what people say, email marketing is SO far from dead. Remember, your subscribers are people who raised their hand and said, "I want to actually hear from you." It can absolutely convert well if you use the right tactics.

Oh, and on that note, here is the bonus 6th mistake that you ABSOLUTELY shouldn't do.

DON'T ADD PEOPLE TO YOUR EMAIL LIST WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION!

I don't care if you Link In with them. I don't care if you had a "great" conversation with them. You should only add people to your list if they have EXPRESSLY stated they want to be on it by way of their own volition or by way of you asking them.

It is MORE important that you have a list with a FEW people who WANT to be on it, rather than trying to build numbers and frustrate people with an unexpected marketing email they didn't ask for.

They will unsubscribe or mark it as spam, and your ranking with email providers like Google WILL go down resulting in lower deliverability rates and reduced brand equity.

If you want to watch the video, or hear about why I think big businesses should learn from small businesses (not the other way around) when it comes to marketing, check it out here:

After you watch and read, let me know which email marketing tactics you've had success with in the comments below.

Additionally, if YOU have a marketing or branding question you want answered, shoot me an email at [email protected] to be featured.

Big shout out to Founder Bhupinder Nayyar from Bameslog for this week's questions. Check out the creative content sharing platform by clicking on the link above!